A STRIKING piece of artwork that warns people about the dangers of military land will be in place until the end of the year after the public called for them to stay.
The ‘steel giants’ at Westbury were initially scheduled to be in place for 28 days, forming part of the Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s Respect the Range campaign.
But they have proved to be so popular with locals and visitors that Wiltshire Council has given them permission to be in place until the end of 2024.
The MOD manages more than one per cent of the total UK landmass, and two thirds of this land is used for training.
The Salisbury Plain Training Area is the largest of its kind in the country.
Its facilities for live firing, armoured vehicles, artillery, engineers, infantry and aircraft are used by the Army, cadets and the UK's NATO allies.
The artwork features three 10ft-tall silhouettes modelled soldiers from 5 Rifles.
Those ‘giants’ are surrounded by smaller metal silhouettes of members of the public carrying out common activities on the training estate such as dog walking, hiking and cycling to show how everyday activities can take place close to military training.
Thousands of incursions were reported across military training areas last year, when members of the public accessed areas where and when they should not have.
There were also hundreds of ‘near misses’ reported, where training was interrupted due to a serious safety risk to the public or military.
Brigadier Gavin Hatcher CBE, head of the UK defence training estate, said: “The Westbury Giants have proven really popular with both local residents and visitors to the area, and we’re delighted that we’ve reached an agreement for them to remain in place until the new year.
“They’ve been a focal point in allowing us to promote our key safety messages to keep the public safe and allow our military to train uninterrupted.”
Dan Barton, founder of Standing with Giants, said: “The enthusiasm with which the giants have been received is wonderful and a testament to the hard work of the volunteers at SWG who brought the project to life.
“Some of the images that local residents have shared with us have been truly spectacular and we’re really pleased the giants will be staying a little longer for more people to enjoy.”
Under the Respect the Range campaign, the public is asked only to access military training areas when and where it is safe. They are also advised to exercise caution.
To help keep themselves and their loved ones safe, the MOD is asking the public to follow these steps:
- Look out for red flags and observe all signs and information
- Check live firing and training times online at GOV.UK before visiting a military training area
- Stick to footpaths, bridleways, byways and Public Rights of Way
- Keep dogs under close control and pick up after them
- Never touch any military debris (UXO), and report these for safe removal
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